By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
L.A. Clippers guard and Serbian national team captain Milos Teodosic talked about a specific emotional “burden” that Serbian players often have to carry when their career brings them to a foreign team.
As Teodosic explained, there is a prejudice against Serbs due to a twisted image people abroad may have of his country, something that derives from years of Serbia being painted in a negative light, following the war in former Yugoslavia.
Here’s what the L.A. Clippers point guard and Serbian national team captain said on the matter in an interview with Serbian magazine Nedeljnik:
“I felt that in every team I’ve been,” Teodosic answered when asked if he ever felt a “burden” coming from Serbia. “In each team, there is an American or someone from another country to whom you have to explain that “we are not like this.” Recently, one American from our club came who was never before in Serbia. He sent me a message: Arrange for me to come again. Patrick Beverley, my teammate from Olympiacos and Clippers, played with the USA national team in the Junior World Cup at Novi Sad (Serbia, 1997) when our guys won the gold with Muta (coach Miroslav Nikolic). He had a negative experience from that competition but after that, we were coming with Olympiacos to Belgrade and he completely changed his view of the city. There will always be something like this and we will always have to explain something. The image in the world about us is the way it is. We are here to try to change it.”
Teodosic also discussed staying with the Clippers. The team had the option to waive Teodosic but decided to keep the Serbian star on their roster for 2018-2019. Milos admitted that this was a development that left him rather pleased.
“They had that option, but I knew about the decision before July 15 and I’m glad I stayed. I told Doc Rivers that I wanted to stay there so that I’d finish the two years of the contract I signed”